Ben Philpott
Ben Philpott covers politics and policy for KUT 90.5 FM. He has been covering state politics and dozens of other topics for the station since 2002. He's been recognized for outstanding radio journalism by the Radio and Television News Directors Association, Public Radio News Directors Incorporated, the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters and twice by the Houston Press Club as Radio Journalist of the Year. Before moving to Texas, he worked in public radio in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Ala., and at several television stations in Alabama and Tennessee. Born in New York City and raised in Chattanooga, Tenn., Philpott graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in broadcast journalism.
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The field for the 2018 party primaries in Texas is taking shape. The deadline for candidates to file is coming up, and political strategists have been...
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November’s election ballot is packed with lots of local items – from city council races to school bonds – but there are also seven proposals to amend...
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Hurricane Harvey has been downgraded to a tropical storm but it is still dumping a lot of rain on Texas. In the capital Austin, thousands of people are without power.
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The rules of a special legislative session are pretty simple: The governor rules. Only the governor can call a special session , and only the governor...
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In Texas, every statewide elected official is Republican and the GOP controls the legislature. But efforts to restrict bathroom access for transgender people show a party that's far from united.
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The Texas governor and lieutenant governor are leading efforts to pass several Republican red meat bills – like a ban on transgender bathroom access. But one Republican lawmaker is pushing back.
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House Speaker Joe Straus has made himself enemy No. 1 among the state’s most conservative voters. His crime? His management style.
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State lawmakers are back in Austin to kick off some legislative overtime . And, as it's been reported over and over and over again , the special session...
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Gov. Greg Abbott has called for a special session of the Texas Legislature to begin July 18. "Considering all the successes of the 85th legislative...
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Last week, Texas made national news when state lawmakers got into a shouting match that escalated into shoving and even death threats . But anger among...
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The Texas House of Representatives has given tentative approval of a bill to ban so-called sanctuary cities. The chamber passed Senate Bill 4 early...
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Voters don't like Congress. Only about 40 percent of the country approves of the job the president is doing. And, because of the hundreds of millions of...